Aardvark
by Death2
Summary: Title is a joke, Harry has his hands full but that doesn't stop Ginny from asking something of him. *NOTE* Cannot find chapter two, working on it and Ch 5
1. Out of the frying pan

Harry relaxed in the burrow's bathtub, an old white basin that took up three feet   
of space in the bathroom yet could easily fit Harry lying flat in it head to toe. It had no   
drain either, the water simply disappeared when the bath was over, leaving the bather dry   
but still clean instantly. These things were not onHarry's mind though as he lay and enjoyed  
the sweet smelling bath.   
Voldemort was back and at full power it seemed, Mr. Weasley was spending almost   
every wakingmoment at the office trying to think up some countermeasure to his once again   
rising power and accompanying streak of terror. Harry had never seen the Weasleys more   
subdued and suspected that the same was happening across every wizard household as they got   
the news. These things were not on Harry's mind though as he lay and enjoyed theperfect   
temperature of the bath.  
Harry's fifth year at hogwarts was starting in just three days, they were planning   
to set out for Diagon Alley the next day to pick up the five kids' schoolmaterials and they   
were hopefully to meet Hermione there, and if not there at King's Cross the following day.   
Hogwarts was sure to be different now that Voldemort was back. Security measures would   
surely be in place, even though Voldemort's only real competition in the world resided   
there. Yet these thingswere not on Harry's mind though as he lay and enjoyed the soothing   
music the bath played for him.   
Harry's thoughts lie on one thing, or rather, one girl. Ginny had been getting   
considerably braver around Harry. Her attemts to show her affection were getting much more   
obvious and Harry wondered how much longer he thought that he could ignore her actions as   
those of an incredibly shy fan of 'The Boy Who Lived.' Harry's bath was soon turning sour   
as his skin was growing shriveled and the bath was slowly turning the bath's scents and   
temperature a little less pleasant in order to speed him out. Harry left the bath and was   
dry before he could even think to reach for a towel. Unfortunately for poor Harry, Fred or   
George (probably both) had decided it would be a rather funny joke to sneak into the   
bathroom and steal all articles of clothing from the area. Harry might have agreed, (that   
it was funny, not that they had his permission to do that) had he not been the subject of   
the joke. Quickly weighing his options Harry decided not to call for help as it would point   
out his extremely embarrassing situation and draw undue punishment to Fred and George who   
were playing a simple joke. He also decided not to simply wait until he could calmly   
request help from Ron who would be passing by to his room once he was finished with some   
garden work, but that could take an hour of waiting in the cold bathroom nude. He decided   
to just take a breakfor Ron's room where he could get a spare set of clothing and simply   
hoped that Ginny was still at a friend's house as Fred had told him before he went into the   
bath.  
Somewhere in his subconscious Harry was able to put the letter 'T' with the letters   
'r-o-u-b-l-e' and deduced the answer, but all his conscious was able to come up with was a   
ringing, whistling, spinning sound that reminded him of the pocket sneakoscope still wrapped  
in one of Uncle Vernon's old socks. He steeled his resolve and opened the door a crack to   
make sure no one was in the immediate area and opened the door all the way. Harry dashed up   
the stairs and rounded the turn on the second floor landing and sprinted up the rest of the   
way to Ron's room. He slowed, thinking his chances of discovery slim to nothing when he   
grasped the doorknob to Ron's room. He opened the door and breezed in calmly, shutting the   
door behind him. It was around that time that he noticed the figure sitting at the foot of   
Ron's bed. Ginny politely averted her eyes but was still able to out shine her flaming hair   
with the deepest blush Harry had ever seen on her, and Harry was close behind as he covered   
himself up. Ginny coughed.  
"Sorry... Er... I - I just got out of the bath... my clothes were gone."  
"S'ok, weren't expecting me."  
They were both trying to play it down and act casual, both were failing miserably,   
especially since Ginny kept helping herself to more furtive glances toward Harry's groin.  
"Uhm, I'll just put on some clothes then." Harry said, not quite sure what tone he   
should take. Ginny turned around as Harry gathered some clothes but took another peek as he   
was pulling on his underwear. He finished dressing and Ginny turned back around. The tension   
was enormous between them. Harry finally broke the stretching silence, "I uh... guess I'll   
go see Ron... or something." Harry turned for the door, but Ginny spoke.  
"Wait Harry, I have to talk to you."  
Harry might have just left anyway under normal conditions, tensions were too high between   
them just now, but she held an extremely powerful psychological weapon against Harry Potter,  
she knew what color underwear he was wearing. This is a little known fact, but is widely   
appreciated that if someone knows what color undergarments you are currently wearing they   
will hold a strange sort of power over you. This of course is demonstrated clearly by   
Super-Man the movie when interviewed by Lois Lane she asks if he can tell what color   
underwear she has on, she is asking if he can hold that sort of weapon over all he meets.  
Back to the point Harry decided to stay, despite the room being several degrees   
warmer because of all the blushing done there recently. Ginny looked deeply into Harry's   
eyes without averting them for the first time since they met.   
"Harry, I think you know what this is about." Harry was the first to break  
the gaze by shifting his wieght, "Yeah I think so." He said beginning to sneer. Ginny was   
taken aback by his cruel expression but continued what she had planned anyway.   
"I'm not going to force a confrontation yet as I know pretty well where I stand   
currently." Ginny said, not able to restore the eye contact of just a few seconds past.   
Harry's eyes narrowed, "Yeah right." And turned around to leave. Ginny grabbed his arm   
stoping him, "What ARE you talking about?" Harry shook his arm free,   
"You don't really love me at all, you fell for my fame before you had even seen me   
in person." Ginny drew herself up, rage boiling in her eyes,   
"I was smitten with your fame and that you were near my age. Now that I have met   
you I have fallen in love." Ginny's lip curled up, showing anger, but her lower lip was   
trembling. Harry said in a cold, dangerous voice that scared both of them,   
"Do you love me? or 'The Boy Who Lived'?" Ginny narrowedher eyes,   
"I don't know, they're both standing in front of me."  
Somehow that statement diffused both their tempers. Harry took a step back, surprised he   
was that angry about such silly things. He apologetically rubbed the back of his head,   
"Sorry about that, I guess I just got carried away." Ginny smiled at him and for   
once he was the one to blush and avert his eyes.   
"So... what were you saying, before I interrupted?" Ginny took a deep breath.  
"I just want you to start seriously considering me." Harry didn't know how to respond.   
Ginny continued her voice growing a little tearful as she went, "I know I can't compete   
with Cho when it comes to looks or Quidditch skill, I've got these horrible freckles and   
I'm a dead-weight on a broomstick, and I know I can't compete with Hermione when it comes   
to schoolwork but I try my best and I seem to get by..." Ginny started to trail off,   
looking expectantly at Harry.   
It took him a moment to absorb what she was telling him. Harry came back to the   
present when he realized Ginny was quaking with tears. He embraced her and muttered into   
her ear, "I promise to consider you romantically from now on." Ginny smiled against his   
shoulder and whispered tearfully, "thank you."  
Harry held her at arm's length, "Why do you think I like Hermione, we're just   
friends." Ginny nodded too quickly for Harry's liking, "Sure, just covering my bases."   
Harry raised an eyebrow, "and how do you know I like Cho?" Ginny rolled her eyes, "Come on,   
Harry, that's all around school, if you wanted others not to know you might have tried a   
bit harder." Ginny laughed at Harry's shocked expression.  
Abruptly Ginny disengaged herself and wiped her eyes, "Well, I'd better go make an   
appearance or the rest of the family will think we're making out or something." She walked   
to the door and hesitated. She looked to Harry and timidly said (blushing again),   
"I uh I saw you in - well less than your underwear and we should be on even terms   
as far as that goes so I guess this is only fair." With that Ginny opened her robe, wearing   
only panties and a bra underneath. Harry didn't seem to mind too much, but then he took in   
a breath sharply and his vision focused to a point about five inches above Ginny's head.   
Harry weakly grined and managed to get out:  
  
"Hi Mr. Weasley" 


	2. Harry's new bicycle

AN: first of I am SOOOOOOOOO incredibly sorry that it took me 5 months to update but first I   
suffered writer's block, then I had to re-read The Prydain series (Lloyd Alexander) then I   
KILLED my computer (funny story I'll tell it sometime) In killing my computer I lost the next   
two chapters then I decided to put the project on hiatus and then I remembered my little fic   
I nearly forgot to finish. So without further ado...  
  
Aardvark: Return to Hogwarts  
  
  
Harry got out of bed and quickly got dressed. He hurried down to breakfast,   
expecting to get a word in with the early rising Arthur Weasley while he was alone. He   
saw only the two Granger parents at the table. Greeting them he ploped down at their   
table and tried to make sense of the past two days, first Ginny shows a brave mature   
side of her personality, holding up a conversation and even an argument with Harry who   
she had barely been able to even remain in the same room as for 4.66666666666666666666666   
of their lives. Then he starts having an allusive dream that seems to be warning Harry of   
some sort of danger but that he cannot make sense of. Harry, knowing himself and   
reviewing his track record decided that he should not give himself a hernia over it   
because it would only lead him to more and more nonsense and would only be understood   
when it was too late to do anything about. That led him to his final point, how was he   
going to get Cho to throw a little attention his way. The problem most definately was   
not in letting her know about his feelings as the whole world was apparently privy to his   
deepest desires and dreams; the problem was charming her into feeling the same way.  
His thought pattern was broken as Ron waved a hand in front of his face and   
Hermione was looking at him, annoyed from the other side of the table. However hard he   
attempted not to ask he found himself speaking without his expressed written consent,   
"What?"  
"Honestly Harry, if you intend to spend your entire day like that you'll miss the   
train while you're in the station." Harry stirred and took a bite of his rapidly cooling   
breakfast, "Anyway, what I was saying was that the Order of Warlocks is threatening the   
Minister of Magic with a expulsion should he not consider and address the   
threat of the dark lord rising." Harry chewed his baked potato thoughtfully, Cornelius   
Fudge had been a fairly good leader in peacetime and had made the magician's market   
economics grow by leaps and bounds by encouraging trade and stimulating problem areas such   
as the cauldron buisiness (a single cauldron would last a wizard their whole life, not   
much repeat buisness). In times of darkness however, he had not fared well the first time   
and was now clinging to his peace as though he would be safe if he ignored the problem. In   
his head an idea was forming, a chair of aurors responsible for informing the magic using   
world of threats from dark wizards and dealing with those threats.  
"Geez Harry, you can't stay awake for ten seconds can you?"  
Harry shrugged, "Just thinking." They finished their meal in silence. The young   
wizard students were quickly off for king's cross station, their trunks tucked safely in   
the Weasley's new(used) car. The entire group arrived at platform nine and three quarters   
without incident. They were early for once and had time to chat casually while loading   
their trunks on board the Hogwarts Express, chiefly about who was to replace Oliver Wood   
as Gryffindor Quiddich Captain. Aboard the train and seated in what had become their usual   
compartment. (the same compartment Harry had sat in when he was just starting at Hogwarts)   
Fred and George engaged everyone so thoughly in a game of exploding snap that no one had   
any idea something was coming until it was too late.  
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle strode into the compartment as a king's hunting party   
that returned only to find their castle infested by vermin. George and Fred half rose in   
an action more to deny them the height advantage than to address them a courtesy. Ron   
stealthily clentched his wand beneath his robes and eyed the trio warily. Ginny looked up   
from a dissappointing snap hand with a spark of something in her eye that Harry did not   
recognize.  
"What do you want Malfoy?" Fred said in a warning tone, Malfoy held up his hands as  
if to ward off a mad beast.  
"I'm fine, thanks for asking. I just wanted to see whether the dark lord was going   
to target the bottom rungs of society first, you're still alive so obviously not" Ron   
clutched his wand tighter, obviously wanting to hex Malfoy so hard he wouldn't wake up   
until the great feast was half over that night. Malfoy glanced at Hermione and snorted   
derisively  
"I see the mudblood has dodged the Dark Lord this one time. Trust me, he won't miss  
again."  
Ron leapt up, forgetting his wand in favor of a more direct, fist based assault.  
A flash flew across Harry's vision, Ron's cocked arm was unable to swing. Ginny had thrown  
her arm into the crook of Ron's elbow. Placing her foot behind Ron's ankle she then twisted  
her upper body, causing Ron to loose his balance and fall on his rear. Everybody in the   
compartment looked completely stupified excepting Ginny.   
"You should know better than to respond to Malfoy's taunts, especially after all  
these years. You should know better, being my older brother, but you have always been  
foolish about such things." Malfoy started laughing (Crabbe and Goyle imitated the laugh  
though they had no idea what was funny) "Taken down by a girl and then scolded, how heroic  
Mr. Weasley." Ginny rounded on him, "And you! if you had half the manlyness even my brother  
shows you wouldn't throw degrading words around in the effort to make yourself feel better  
about your lack of honor, or hide behind your goons when it looks like your idiocy has  
resulted in punches being thrown." Malfoy fairly growled, "You think I can't fight so I  
make Crabbe or Goyle fight instead do you?" Ginny shook her head, "I don't think, I know."  
Ginny suddenly seemed larger, her steady posture and confident look made her look taller  
than Malfoy who was quivering with rage and not a little fear.  
"Feh, little girl doesn't know what she's saying. Comeon Crabbe, Goyle let's go  
mingle with those closer to our level." The three beat a hasty retreat, closing the door   
behind them. The room was quiet, all eyes were on Ginny (not there you perverts) Harry felt   
he had just seen another side of Ginny, one who could feel pride at her own skills and   
utilize them to their fullest as well as assess psychological goals and tendancies. Ginny   
returned to her seat and dissappointing snap hand as nonchalantly as if she had just gotten   
up to readjust the curtains.  
"Where did that come from?" Ron said, in awe of his little sister from his place on  
the floor where she had set him. Ginny transformed back to the Ginny Harry had known since  
he was twelve, "Well, I didn't want you two to fight and that seemed like the only way to  
stop you two." Ginny averted her eyes, uncomfortable under such suprised scrutiny. Ron stood  
"I meant where did that trip come from? I've never seen you do anything like that." Ginny  
blushed, "I found a muggle book in Dad's collection that had some fighting techniqes   
detailed in it."  
"You mean you learned to fight from a book? You must be pretty impressed Hermione."  
"Hey!"  
Harry looked out the window to look at the setting sun and the landscapes, trying to  
ignore the argument but it still invaded his consciousness.  
"Oh comeon Hermione, it's exactly what you would do."  
"Yes, but that isn't the point I think..."  
"You think, that's all you ever do."  
"And all you ever do is act, if Ginny hadn't have thought fast enough you would have  
been smeared by Crabbe and Goyle."   
So the argument continued, along with their game of snap and the earth's rotation  
until finally when they arrived at Hogwarts Hermione said in a voice shrill from overuse,  
"Ron Weasley I am simply not speaking to you."  
"Fine!"  
"Fine!"  
Still they all piled into the same carriage. Harry smiled when the two of them   
sat next to each other. On the short trip up the path and to the castle doors Harry felt  
something odd about the boar statues that had stood at the gates since Hogwarts was founded.  
(as Hermione had explained from Hogwarts, A History.) In a few moments they were past and   
the elusive feeling vanished. After coming to a stop all the students of Hogwarts exited  
their carriages and bounded up to the great hall to sit at their house tables. Across the  
hall Harry spotted Cho taking her seat at the Ravenclaw table. The responce from his body  
was immediate and fairly violent, his heart tried to beat it's way out of his chest, his  
ears felt like too much air was being smashed into them and as a result he nearly lost his   
balance. Ginny, who was next to him, put a hand on his shoulder to steady him and asked if  
he was feeling okay.  
Shortly the sorting began and Gryffindor got its fair share of first years, Harry   
applauding with each one. Then it was time for Dumbledore's speach which had only the standard  
set of warnings, nothing about enhanced security, nor about cancelled Hogsmead visits or any  
other sacrifice for the sake of staying alive. The speach ended sooner than Harry had   
anticipated and the plates were filling with food before he knew it.   
Harry was unusually preoccupied while cramming food in his mouth, he couldn't help   
thinking about his dream, what it could mean, and how it related to his responce at seeing  
Cho again and Ginny's new personality traits. As soon as Harry leaned back in his chair, fully  
stuffed, the food left on his plate disappeared as per custom of Hogwarts meals. In no time  
everyone was finished and they all filed sleepily to their dormitories.  
Abed, Harry dropped to sleep at once. The dream was there once again, a clearer,  
though more confusing message, "Beware the hand of Voldemort, it is closer than it appears."  
Harry saw his mother and father smiling down on him before he woke to a brand new day.  
  
AN #2 Well there it is, finally got some more down. It should start getting more interesting   
from here on, though I'm running really dry on the humor aspect and I hope it will improve in   
subsequent chapters. Next chapter should be up within the next month or so 


	3. Fridays are keenyoubi

AN: I wrote this one pretty quickly, (for me) I hope it measures up to the last ones, I think  
this story, which I originally planned to be only the one chapter, has turned into a fair story  
and one that I am proud of. I hope I am scratching something deeper than just a story about  
the characters from the Harry Potter series and exploring an aspect of human nature or some  
other profound subject. That is my goal with every piece of writing I think of. I hope this  
story lives up to your aspirations as it has (rather surprisingly) lived up to mine. Enough  
rambling (at least about me) and it's time for the story  
  
Aardvark: The Hands of Voldemort Touch All  
  
Harry woke to his first day of school, checking his trunk he found all the supplies   
he required packed exactly as they had been in the Leaky Cauldron. He pulled out his  
robe to prepare for his day. He picked up his schedule just outside the Griffyndor common  
room and read it over a can of toast. Ron sat down across from Harry, throwing a greeting  
his way. Harry nodded at Ron and was about to launch into a complaint about Potions with  
the Slytherins that afternoon when his eyes were distracted to the presence of Cho standing  
inconspicuously near the door to the great hall with her eyes fixed directly on Harry.  
Reacting similarly as he had the previous night Harry turned away, hoping she would not  
stare so. Along with Harry's normal feelings when in the presence of the object of his   
desire he also felt a strange fear come over him, he chalked it up to his fear of being   
stupid while she was watching but...  
  
"Hey, Harry are you okay?" Ron shook his shoulder slightly, "Yeah, just got distracted"  
Harry assured, Ron didn't look convinced, "You looked like you were going to say something   
then went white and started rubbing your head." Harry quickly snatched his hand away from his  
head, revealing the scar before his hair fell back over it. "You've done similar things ever  
since you came over to our house for the end of summer break. What's wrong?" Harry sighed  
  
"I don't know." He paused before continuing, "Ever since Voldemort came back the   
whole world has seemed to turn upside down where I expected no change and the changes I  
expected never took place." Harry sighed, "We'd better get to charms or chance being late on  
our first day back." Ron nodded, not convinced that was the whole truth, and began to get up.  
His eye was caught over at the Slytherin table, Harry followed his friend's gaze and surprisingly  
enough it was Draco Malfoy that was the subject of attention.  
  
"He's planning something, I just know it." Harry nodded in consent after examining   
Malfoy speaking in hushed tones to his friends. Malfoy then took a hate-filled look at, not  
Harry, but the unsuspecting Ginny. Ron, apparently coming to the same conclusion Harry did,  
said, "You don't suppose he would..." Harry nodded, "I think he would, we should find a way  
to stop him before he hurts Ginny." He felt more emotion than he though he should about the  
prospect of his best friend's little sister being hurt but he decided it was the insanity  
his life had taken on since the beginning of his fourth year acting up again. Harry suddenly   
remembered the approaching Charms class.   
  
"But I'm sure we can do it after class, for now it's time to go." Ron looked at him  
strangely, "You sound like Hermione." Harry pitched in, "By the way, where was she at breakfast?"  
Ron's eyes twinkled with mirth, it was a joke they had started about the middle of their second  
year, it had not lost nearly all of it's humor over the years, "Why I think she was at the  
library." Ron continued. "As Usual." they chimed together before heading off in the direction  
of their class.  
  
In charms they learned several charms to cause different effects on a subject who   
read words enchanted in the proper way. Harry felt proud that he could now cause anyone  
who read his notes to magically forget what they just read. The perfect excuse to get out  
of any bothersome reading assignment. Ron and Hermione (who joined up at Charms) trailed  
Harry towards their next class in Transfiguration. The day progressed slowly for the teens  
intent on stopping an evil plot in its tracks, they were used to it but by the time Potions  
rolled around they were dying for schooling to cease for the day. Standard procedure before  
a Potions lesson of course.   
  
Malfoy and the Slytherins were waiting for them by the time the Gryffindors arrived.  
Looking like he felt proud of himself Malfoy smiled heartily at the three friends. Ron,  
speaking before thinking asked, "What have you got up your sleeve Malfoy?" the accused simply  
shrugged mysteriously, "I will not tell, but it involves your sister." Ron grabbed Malfoy's  
lapel, "If you even think about harming a hair on that girl's head I will destroy you!" a  
cold voice crept through the passageway, "Mr. Weasley what do you think you're doing?"  
  
Snape seemed to appear suddenly from around a corner, he crossed his arms and looked  
disapprovingly at the teenage disturbance before him. Ron reluctantly let the other boy go,  
dropping his hands in his pockets, "I thought he threatened my sister, I was trying to defend  
her." Snape's eyes took on a look of considering, "Is this true Mr. Malfoy?" Malfoy shook his  
head of course, "I was just talking about the weather." Snape narrowed his eyes, "That sounds  
like a lie Mr. Malfoy. Is it?" Malfoy was struck by the fact that he had to back up his   
statement in front of the head of his own house who generally showed him undue favor. "Yes,  
it is." Snape's face hardened, waiting for the truth. When none was forthcoming he finished,  
"Five points from Gryffindor for minor assault, Five points from Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's   
inability to tell the truth." Groans were heard from the Slytherins but sighs of relief were  
from the Gryffindors. The uncustomary fairness did not last into the classroom as he soon  
was giving points back to the Slytherins like popcorn and managed to take an additional ten  
points from Gryffindor.   
  
Malfoy managed to disappear as soon as the class let out, making it quite impossible  
to trail him to the source of whatever diabolical scheme he was planning. Instead they   
tried to find Ginny and warn her of any plot. After searching high and low they were sent  
back to their house by a disgruntled Flitch.  
  
"I swear, if he dares harm her I will throttle that self important fool." Ron felt  
like elaborating on his current opinion of Malfoy. Harry felt the same with a little more  
of a subdued air to him, Hermione was simply alert for any final sign of Ginny while they   
were heading back to their dorms. Harry unconsciously lagged behind and was soon outdistanced  
by his friends. He was trying to sort out the pieces he had glimpsed so far. A puzzle was  
forming itself in front of him and he felt that if he didn't figure it out in time people  
close to him would be hurt.  
  
"Pst, Harry, Over here!"  
Broken from his reverie Harry looked around for the source of the voice. Seeing a  
dark figure hiding in a deep shadow left by a great suit of armor he headed over. It was Cho.  
"You're looking for Ginny Weasley right?" Harry wondered where she heard but nodded  
anyway, "Well I just saw her go into the Prefect's bath, if you don't hurry she could get in  
trouble for being there." Harry had a million questions, many concerning his relationship   
with her and even more about the suspicious nature of her appearance, but all he could get  
past his throat was a dull nod. With that Cho stepped back and fairly disappeared from view.  
Harry looked up the corridor to where his friends walked off to. They were most likely all  
the way back at Gryffindor tower and the Prefect bath was only a few steps away. He had made  
his first five steps before the sudden realization hit him, Cho knew that Harry knew where   
the Prefect bath was.  
  
How did she know? she could have overheard when Cedric had told him of it but somehow  
Harry doubted it. Harry's suspicions grew as he thought of why Ginny would have reason to go  
there and how Cho happened to come by this information and how she happened to find him.  
Nothing made any sense to Harry anymore. He was tempted not to go, it may be some kind of  
plot planned by Malfoy. Harry, however, felt he could not learn any more of the situation   
unless he went forward. Sighing heavily he opened the bath door and stepped in.  
  
The bath looked as it had the previous year. The swimming pool sized bath was there,  
the water was just as magical and exotic as it had been when Harry had come. The water had  
a reflective silvery texture that denied penetration of sight through the surface. Harry's  
sight caught a pile of cloth near the water's edge. The prospect of clothing shed for a bath  
did not cross Harry's mind until a figure broke the surface of the water. The form's   
attractive red hair, dripping wet, didn't manage to attract Harry's eyes away from its ample   
chest. It took a full three seconds to react, the teenagers were so filled with shock. Harry  
turned away and Ginny covered herself, sinking back into the water up to her neck.   
  
"What's the big idea walking in on me like that?" Ginny nearly shouted at the dazed  
youth, a blush of embarrassment as much as anger reddening her cheeks. "You could have   
knocked." Harry struggled to find words. Every time he opened his mouth to speak his  
excuse the image of the girl's naked body tried to force its way into his mind. Harry shook  
his head, "Hermione, Ron and I were looking for you. Malfoy was making some threats and we   
were trying to warn you to avoid him." Harry coughed embarrassed that he had no really good  
reason to have walked into the bath. "I'll just wait outside then." Harry walked to the door  
and tried to twist the knob. The door refused to open. Cursing what an idiot he no doubt  
looked like he pulled out his wand and tried several opening spells, none of which worked.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry shook his head, "Door won't open." At that moment all the  
faucets turned on as one. The magical spigots poured an insane amount of water through them   
quickly and soon the pool-like tub was filling up past it's brim. Harry came to the late   
revelation that the drainage grates weren't working and that the room was speedily filling with   
good old Hydrogen Hydroxide. Harry looked to Ginny, who apparently just realized the same   
thing,   
  
"We have to get out of here." Harry said in the dull horror of realization that if they   
didn't get out they would drown. Ginny leapt out of the pool and onto the deck, which   
already boasted inch deep water. Harry had a battle within himself to avoid looking, this  
was his best friend Ron's own kin. To look at a woman in such a state of undress would be   
taking a knife to the tapestry of his honor. Harry closed his eyes tight and struggled not  
to take advantage of the situation. In a moment Ginny was safely clothed in her robes.  
  
"I shouldn't have left them on the floor, they got soaked." Indeed her robes did get   
wet, they clung to her like a second skin, making Ginny look bedraggled in them. Harry took   
a moment to mourn that the school robes were black and not white, but the water was rising at  
an astonishing rate and the two of them were no closer to finding their way out.  
  
"Maybe we could somehow stop more water from coming out by closing the spigots."  
Ginny suggested, trying to get some sort of brainstorming going. Their attempts to stop the  
flow of water were fruitless however and only served to waste the time that it took for the   
water to creep up to mid-thigh level. The now panicked teens looked around for any other exit  
but none presented themselves. Harry took a deep breath and thought of the comforting words  
on the cover of his personal copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and thought for a  
moment.   
  
"I've got it!" Ginny looked in surprise at Harry's outburst, "We'll just ask Myrtle."  
As if the concept was the simplest on earth Harry walked to the plumbing on the wall and   
shouted at the top of his lungs, "Myrtle! We need your help!" a few moments later the ghost  
pushed her head out of the wall and looked mournfully at the endangered teens.  
  
"Do you need something, or did you just want to bother me and poke fun?" The teens  
explained their situation to the pitiable ghost, who simply nodded at the conclusion. "So  
what if you die? No one cared when I died so why should you be afforded any consideration?"  
  
Harry was about to press the point and argue when Ginny stepped forward, "Listen  
Myrtle." she said in an even and compassionate voice. "The crime that killed you was worse  
than atrocious. You died when the chamber of secrets was opened for the first time, a horrible  
event by anyone's standard." Ginny paused to consider her words, "If it weren't for Harry, I  
would be a ghost floating right next to you right now, if I was lucky enough for that."  
Myrtle cried a bemoanment, forming the words "So, no one cares about me." Ginny shook her  
head firmly, "No, if Harry had the chance I'm sure he would have saved you in a heartbeat."  
Ginny paused, trying to get the maximum effect out of her speech, "Your death has been  
avenged, save us now so it may be worth something." Myrtle thought about this for a minute  
(enough time for the water to rise to shoulder height) then leapt from the wall to the center  
of the now totally submerged pool and told them, "Follow me." before diving into the water.  
Ginny and Harry turned to each other and shrugged.   
  
Taking a small hop they quickly dove to follow the ghostly creature to it's destination. Seen   
underwater Myrtle was little more than a white blur at the bottom of the pool. Her voice was  
as clear as ever in their ears as she gestured to a design on the pool floor. "This is a  
drainage plug, pull it open like this." The ghost pantomimed the action before continuing.  
"Good luck, you'll need it before you're through this mess."  
  
Not quite sure what she meant by the last comment Harry watched her disappear into  
the floor. Harry pulled open the drain and realized his mistake as soon as he had made it.  
The water began rushing down into the piping in the walls of Hogwarts, the same water Harry  
and Ginny were floating in. The pipe below seemed to open wide like a demonic mouth and  
swallowed both Harry and Ginny whole. The sides of the pipe buffeted Harry to the verge of  
unconsciousness and unfogivingly dumped him onto a metal grate somewhere deep in the dungeons.  
He coughed out almost a pint of water and drew his first breath in what seemed like hours.  
a formula that was one part Ginny, five parts water landed on top of him, the fresh air   
forced from his lungs. When Harry caught his wind again he noticed that Ginny's weight was  
still on top of him, unmoving. Harry rolled her over and realized the girl was knocked out,  
blood pouring quickly from a gash across the head.  
  
Harry picked her up and bore her to a more comfortable position, out of the way of   
the rushing water and on a dry mat under a lit torch, affording the area a much better locale  
for resuscitation. Harry laid Ginny out on the mat and nearly panicked when he saw how white  
she was getting. Acting quickly he ripped a ribbon of cloth from the hem of his robe and   
bound it around the wound and applied pressure. He placed his hands over her sternum and   
gently pressed a  
short rhythm, "One... Two... Three... Four... Five." he muttered to himself, keeping pace with   
his hands' depressions. He then closed Ginny's nose and gently pushed air through her lips  
by using his own diaphragm as a pump. He repeated the action several times before Ginny  
began to cough, letting the water out.   
  
Harry felt an enormous weight lifted from him as the young woman opened her eyes,  
the feeling of despair he didn't even realize he felt faded away. He leaned over to look   
into her eyes. In so doing he jostled her arm. Ginny cried out in pain and squeezed her  
eyes shut. He moved away, trying to minimize risk of hurting her further.  
  
"What hurts?" Harry tried to keep anything more than a normal level of concern out  
of his voice, he failed abysmally but he tried.  
"My arm, it feels like it's tearing in two." Ginny managed to grate out through the  
pain. Harry could do nothing but stand where he could not hurt her further and hope the pain  
would pass. He had unfortunately only studied lightly on healing spells and now what little  
knowledge he possessed on the subject was driven from his mind by the intensity of the   
situation. He thought back to his second year when he had fallen from his broom and broken  
his arm during a quiddich match. It seemed to him that after the first several moments of  
intense pain there was a period where it didn't hurt so much.   
  
Ginny slowly stopped writhing in pain and sat up, clutching her arm at the shoulder  
and rubbing.  
"It doesn't hurt so bad, is it better?"  
Harry shook his head, "Just a temporary reprieve I'm afraid, the pain will be back."   
Harry looked around at the dungeon room they were in. "We have to get to Madame Pomfrey.  
From my estimate we're down a score of stories or thereabouts." Harry offered his hand for  
Ginny's uninjured one. "Do you think you can walk?" Ginny nodded and accepted his hand.  
They set off in a direction that seemed to slope generally upward. Soon they had found their  
way back on track and were hiking through familiar corridors toward the well known   
(to Harry) infirmary. The pain indeed was back in no time and Ginny was soon leaning on  
The less badly hurt Harry for support. Harry gently encircled his arm around Ginny,  
rubbing her shoulder, "To release natural painkillers." Harry explained. Ginny  
didn't know if it was because of the 'natural painkillers' or not, but she certainly did  
feel better with Harry's arm around her. She felt so good, so warm and light. She felt like  
dozing off in Harry's arms.  
  
Harry felt the jolt of Ginny's full body weight being pressed against him suddenly.  
He noticed her eyes were closed and that blood was still flowing from her scalp wound. He  
shook her and told her firmly, "Wake up, Ginny." She showed no response. Nearly panicking  
he picked her up, Threshold style, and ran the remaining distance to the infirmary.  
  
As he was entering, someone else was exiting. The two parties collided and the  
resulting pile contained not only a bedraggled and beaten pair of Gryffindors but a very  
stunned professor Snape. Madame Pomfrey was upon them in a second, checking their wounds  
and testing for further damage. Harry felt his job complete, Ginny was in good hands, it   
would be okay for him to take just a short nap. Harry felt himself lifted off the floor  
just before he was lost to the world.  
  
AN: whew, that took me a while. The story overall is approaching a climax and I wish I  
had done a better job at keeping the plot confusing and mysterious. I'd say there are   
still two or three to write still. The conclusion is already finished, I just have to  
bridge the gap. 


End file.
